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Harp playing sisters dedicate concert to their late mother

Otakes siblings performing Sunday afternoon at the Langley Community Music School
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Sisters Miya and Kaori Otake will be performing at Langley Community Music School on Sunday. The pair, dubbed Duo Harps, are the latest musicians to participate in the school’s Cafe Classico concert series. (Special to Langley Advance Times)

A Langley concert by the Otake sisters this weekend is being dedicated to their mother, who passed away earlier this year.

Harpists Miya and Kaori Otake are showcasing their talents Sunday at the Langley Community Music School (LCMS), as the latest instalment in the school’s Concerts Cafe Classico series, and they’re doing it in honour of Kayo Otake.

“Our mother was an incredible musician, teacher and impresario who played an integral role in both our personal and musical lives,” said Miya. “Kaori and I will perform a beautiful concert in her honour, and with her in our hearts.”

MORE ABOUT THEIR CONCERT

Since learning to play the harp at young ages in Aichi, Japan, the sisters have given solo recitals and concerto performances around the world, and have appeared as a duo on many prestigious stages including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Rio International Harp Festival in Brazil, and at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, England, Miya is the resident harpist of the Chilliwack Symphony Orchestra and freelances. She is a sought-after educator and adjudicator, as well as a teacher of harp at LCMS.

Kaori is a graduate of Curtis, Juilliard, and Indiana University, who has performed as a soloist across the globe with appearances from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra to the Japan/Nippon Philharmonic Orchestra. She currently resides in Japan.

The internationally acclaimed pair will share a program that includes works by Debussy, Glière, Parish-Alvars and Franck in the school’s Rose Gellert Hall on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m.

The afternoon concert will open with an informal conversation between the artists and LCMS’ artistic director Elizabeth Bergmann.

“We will be transported by Miya and Kaori’s mesmerizing and heartfelt performance this Sunday, and it’s always a treat to hear them share their thoughts and insights into the magical world of the harp,” Bergmann said.

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Langley Community Music School hosts multiple musical concerts between October and May, including the Rose Gellert Hall Series – an evening concert series featuring renowned Canadian and international musicians – as well as the Concerts Cafe Classico Series – an afternoon concert series featuring local and touring musicians playing classical, jazz, or contemporary works.

Next up for Concerts Cafe Classico series will be the Vancouver Cello Quartet (Jan. 30) followed by Carl Petersson, solo piano (April 3); and Tour de Force with the Fringe Percussion Ensemble (May 15).

Because of limited seating, tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be available at the door. In accordance with provincial health orders, proof of vaccination and face masks will be required.

Single tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $10 for students.

To reserve tickets, call the box office at 604-534-2848, and more information visit is also available online at LangleyMusic.com.

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